Pacific Southwest Region 9 UTC

The Pacific Southwest Region UTC is the Region 9 University Transportation Center funded under the US Department of Transportation’s University Transportation Centers Program. Established in 2016, the Pacific Southwest Region UTC (PSR) is led by the University of Southern California and includes seven partners:

Long Beach State University

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Hawaii

Northern Arizona University

Pima Community College

The Pacific Southwest Region UTC conducts an integrated, multidisciplinary program of research, education and technology transfer aimed at improving the mobility of people and goods throughout the region. Our program is organized around four themes: 1) technology to address transportation problems and improve mobility; 2) improving mobility for vulnerable populations; 3) Improving resilience and protecting the environment; and 4) managing mobility in high growth areas.

Region 9 includes four diverse states as well as the Pacific Island territories. The region is home to eight metropolitan areas in excess of one million in population (including the nation’s second largest), four of the seven most visited U.S. cities on the globe, four of the nation’s 10 busiest airports, the nation’s largest port complex, and the largest high tech region on the planet. At the same time the region is home to vast, sparsely settled desert regions, and some of the most remote pacific islands. The region has the nation’s highest proportion of non-native born populations, large concentrations of native American and native island populations, and concentrations of extreme poverty and disadvantage.

The PSR UTC supports research that addresses the unique combination of problems in the region, serves as a clearinghouse for curriculum to improve transportation education programs, addresses workforce development through targeted training, community college partnerships and professional development, and conducts a comprehensive, multimedia dissemination program.

The PSR UTC is structured to have a truly regional focus and is intended to build a strong university-government-industry partnership. Our consortium of universities and community colleges, together with partnerships with state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), forms a region-wide network to guide the development and implementation of the center’s research, education, and technology transfer programs.